I subbed today in kindergarten. Two different kindergarten classes, in
fact (same school, though). It just so happened that there were two
teachers, one wanting the a.m. off, one needing the afternoon. Normally
I don't like to do kindergarten until a little later in the year. When
they're housebroken, and the weepers have stopped crying. It's a good
rule, but the secretary called me up and said they were in a bind.
I had just arrived at the afternoon class, *just * gotten there, hadn't
said a word to anybody except, "Hi, my name is Missus H", the classroom
teacher had just headed off to whatever business she had to take care of.
I was reading the sub notes and a little boy came up to my desk and
just stood there. He obviously had something on his mind so I gave him
several seconds to come out with it. Finally I asked him, "What's your
name?"
"Ben".
"Ben. That's a good name. What's the matter, Ben?"
And then, like a flaming asteroid out of the freakin blue, oh god...
"I had a dog. Her name was Bella. My dad got rid of her onnacounta I
dint stop having accidents in my pants at night. An' I miss her."
I was literally speechless. What in god's name do you say to something
like that? What do you do? I felt like somebody had stuck a knife in
my heart. I honestly would have felt better equipped to deal with
almost anything else. Beatings. Sexual abuse. But emotional torture
involving a DOG?!
In the end I couldn't trust my voice at all, just pulled him up onto my
lap. He leaned his head against my shoulder and stuck his thumb in his
mouth and I tried to just breathe, breathe for both of us, take the pain
and horror and put it someplace else. No tears, because if I started
crying I wouldn't be able to stop.
And it worked, after a while. Sort of.
But who does **** like that? And WHY?! Bedwetting is a developmental
issue, sometimes a sleep disorder, it's not under conscious control. Is
the ******* TRYING to raise a serial killer?
I'm going to e-mail his regular teacher and cc the guidance councilor
tomorrow and dump the matter in their laps. I suppose that miserable
SOB was within his legal right to get rid of the dog for any reason he
wanted to, but I'm betting that's just the tip of the iceberg. As a
district employee I am, in fact, obligated to raise the red flag.
It won't do any good now, I already know that. But if a report is made
it has to be documented. And it'll be there the next time, when
something else comes up. And it will. Somebody who would do this to a
5 year old child is capable of just about anything. So it's about
building a case.
It's not often that I miss accounting, but I surely do today.

"Kathleen" wrote in message
...
I subbed today in kindergarten. Two different kindergarten classes, in
fact (same school, though). It just so happened that there were two
teachers, one wanting the a.m. off, one needing the afternoon. Normally I
don't like to do kindergarten until a little later in the year. When
they're housebroken, and the weepers have stopped crying. It's a good
rule, but the secretary called me up and said they were in a bind.
I had just arrived at the afternoon class, *just * gotten there, hadn't
said a word to anybody except, "Hi, my name is Missus H", the classroom
teacher had just headed off to whatever business she had to take care of.
I was reading the sub notes and a little boy came up to my desk and just
stood there. He obviously had something on his mind so I gave him several
seconds to come out with it. Finally I asked him, "What's your name?"
"Ben".
"Ben. That's a good name. What's the matter, Ben?"
And then, like a flaming asteroid out of the freakin blue, oh god...
"I had a dog. Her name was Bella. My dad got rid of her onnacounta I
dint stop having accidents in my pants at night. An' I miss her."
I was literally speechless. What in god's name do you say to something
like that? What do you do? I felt like somebody had stuck a knife in my
heart. I honestly would have felt better equipped to deal with almost
anything else. Beatings. Sexual abuse. But emotional torture involving
a DOG?!
In the end I couldn't trust my voice at all, just pulled him up onto my
lap. He leaned his head against my shoulder and stuck his thumb in his
mouth and I tried to just breathe, breathe for both of us, take the pain
and horror and put it someplace else. No tears, because if I started
crying I wouldn't be able to stop.
And it worked, after a while. Sort of.
But who does **** like that? And WHY?! Bedwetting is a developmental
issue, sometimes a sleep disorder, it's not under conscious control. Is
the ******* TRYING to raise a serial killer?
I'm going to e-mail his regular teacher and cc the guidance councilor
tomorrow and dump the matter in their laps. I suppose that miserable SOB
was within his legal right to get rid of the dog for any reason he wanted
to, but I'm betting that's just the tip of the iceberg. As a district
employee I am, in fact, obligated to raise the red flag.
It won't do any good now, I already know that. But if a report is made it
has to be documented. And it'll be there the next time, when something
else comes up. And it will. Somebody who would do this to a 5 year old
child is capable of just about anything. So it's about building a case.
It's not often that I miss accounting, but I surely do today.


My first thought was EEEK someone's started school already? We still have
2 weeks before we start.

My second thought was EEEK kindergarten!

And then I read the rest and my heart broke sigh I think you handled it
very well. I had a 2nd grader tell me one year that his dad took his puppy
out and shot it because he (the puppy) kept having accidents in the house.
And with that, I'll not rant about what I really want to say right now.

Sue and Atty

Sue and Atty wrote:


My first thought was EEEK someone's started school already? We still have
2 weeks before we start.

In our district K-5 go year round, with 4 cycles breaks instead of a
long summer break. They lose less ground, academically, than they would
over an extended summer break, it keeps the teachers fresh, less likely
to burn out, and allows families more flexibility in scheduling vacations.

I loved the year round schedule, but the middle schools and high schools
keep to a more traditional routine. But even for them, school starts
tomorrow.

In our state, some of the rural districts are considering a 4-day school
week in response to fuel prices. I'd be cool with that as well, at
least for middle and high school. And knock off the friggen' half days.
What a waste of time. Throw the teachers a bone in the form of a
couple half days of meetings and training seminars per month, but make
the kids come in and whip through their entire class schedule in 3 1/2
hours, so as not to miss any state dollars. Zero academic value, same
fuel cost as a full day.

My second thought was EEEK kindergarten!

And they are such babies. Hell, some of them aren't even babies,
they're like fetuses with shoes and backpacks. Nowhere near ready. And
all but a fortunate handful go full day. The lucky few have a mom or
dad or grandparent who can come and get them at lunch time. Core
curriculum is all a.m. The afternoon is baby-sitting. State funded
daycare, and parents snap it up like chocolate.

And then I read the rest and my heart broke sigh I think you handled it
very well. I had a 2nd grader tell me one year that his dad took his puppy
out and shot it because he (the puppy) kept having accidents in the house.
And with that, I'll not rant about what I really want to say right now.

It's horrible to be so helpless. But I try to remember that even if you
can't change what's happened, can't stop what's happening, at least you
can bear witness. You can keep your eyes open, refuse to turn away, and
be willing to speak up, to say it happened, I heard it, he told me, I
saw it, and it was really that bad. Atrocities occur when good people
turn their heads, look away.

"Kathleen" wrote in message
...
Sue and Atty wrote:


My first thought was EEEK someone's started school already? We still
have 2 weeks before we start.

In our district K-5 go year round, with 4 cycles breaks instead of a long
summer break. They lose less ground, academically, than they would over
an extended summer break, it keeps the teachers fresh, less likely to burn
out, and allows families more flexibility in scheduling vacations.

I loved the year round schedule, but the middle schools and high schools
keep to a more traditional routine. But even for them, school starts
tomorrow.

In our state, some of the rural districts are considering a 4-day school
week in response to fuel prices. I'd be cool with that as well, at least
for middle and high school. And knock off the friggen' half days. What a
waste of time. Throw the teachers a bone in the form of a couple half
days of meetings and training seminars per month, but make the kids come
in and whip through their entire class schedule in 3 1/2 hours, so as not
to miss any state dollars. Zero academic value, same fuel cost as a full
day.

Thanks for the clarification. I could see issues in our district with the 2
age groups being on different schedules/vacations (we only have 2 buildings
k-5 and 6-12). We don't have half days for meetings/inservices, but we do
have a couple of 1 hour early dismissals in order to do inservices. Our
monthly staff meetings are all before school. The other 2 inservice days
are full days - on holiday weekends like President's Day. Makes a nice long
weekend for the kids.

I find the 2 hour weather delays a wasted day - but we get credit. I'd
rather have the whole snow day and have to make it up (remember, I'm talking
instructional wise, not "I really enjoy the fact I get to sleep in" wise)
They come in, go to recess, go to lunch, have about 30 min. of instruction,
go to specials, and have another hour of instructional time and off they go.

I'm not sure what I think of the 4 day idea yet. I see some good and some
bad to it. I think the older kids would be fine, but the little ones would
be useless by the end of the day. Definitely have to build in a nap time
for some ages. They're already useless by 3:00! (the kindergarteners,
especially) We have all day K for everyone - I didn't think I'd like it,
but we're in our 4th year of it and my kids come to me in 2nd grade so much
farther along than when we only had 1/2 days. It's worked for us, but we
aren't losing some of the kids at noon and having to babysit the rest.

Sue and Atty

In article ,
Kathleen wrote:


"I had a dog. Her name was Bella. My dad got rid of her onnacounta I
dint stop having accidents in my pants at night. An' I miss her."

So freakin' sad that any idiots capable of conceiving can be "parents".

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

"Kathleen" wrote in message
...
I subbed today in kindergarten. Two different kindergarten classes, in
fact (same school, though). It just so happened that there were two
teachers, one wanting the a.m. off, one needing the afternoon. Normally I
don't like to do kindergarten until a little later in the year. When
they're housebroken, and the weepers have stopped crying. It's a good
rule, but the secretary called me up and said they were in a bind.
I had just arrived at the afternoon class, *just * gotten there, hadn't
said a word to anybody except, "Hi, my name is Missus H", the classroom
teacher had just headed off to whatever business she had to take care of.
I was reading the sub notes and a little boy came up to my desk and just
stood there. He obviously had something on his mind so I gave him several
seconds to come out with it. Finally I asked him, "What's your name?"
"Ben".
"Ben. That's a good name. What's the matter, Ben?"
And then, like a flaming asteroid out of the freakin blue, oh god...
"I had a dog. Her name was Bella. My dad got rid of her onnacounta I
dint stop having accidents in my pants at night. An' I miss her."
I was literally speechless. What in god's name do you say to something
like that? What do you do? I felt like somebody had stuck a knife in my
heart. I honestly would have felt better equipped to deal with almost
anything else. Beatings. Sexual abuse. But emotional torture involving
a DOG?!
In the end I couldn't trust my voice at all, just pulled him up onto my
lap. He leaned his head against my shoulder and stuck his thumb in his
mouth and I tried to just breathe, breathe for both of us, take the pain
and horror and put it someplace else. No tears, because if I started
crying I wouldn't be able to stop.
And it worked, after a while. Sort of.
But who does **** like that? And WHY?! Bedwetting is a developmental
issue, sometimes a sleep disorder, it's not under conscious control. Is
the ******* TRYING to raise a serial killer?
I'm going to e-mail his regular teacher and cc the guidance councilor
tomorrow and dump the matter in their laps. I suppose that miserable SOB
was within his legal right to get rid of the dog for any reason he wanted
to, but I'm betting that's just the tip of the iceberg. As a district
employee I am, in fact, obligated to raise the red flag.
It won't do any good now, I already know that. But if a report is made it
has to be documented. And it'll be there the next time, when something
else comes up. And it will. Somebody who would do this to a 5 year old
child is capable of just about anything. So it's about building a case.
It's not often that I miss accounting, but I surely do today.



Please let us know what/if you hear any response to your emails. I doubt
much can be done for *simple* (****), emotional abuse. And
*accidents* at night are not unusual at all for a kindergartner. My
youngest was a very sound sleeper and often times wet the bed at night. I
talked to the pediatrician about it, and he said to take her to the bathroom
right before I went to bed. So that's what I did. She never even woke up
during her late night bathroom trip. I'd guide her to the bathroom, sit her
on the potty, she'd pee, and I'd guide her back to bed again. Most times
that alleviated the problem. But if she still did have an *accident*, big
freakin deal. A waterproof mattress covering is no ****in deal. It's not
like we have to drag our sheets to the river and beat 'em with rocks to
clean them. Washer, dryer, back on the bed. Times like this I don't miss
tutoring/volunteering in school. My preference was always kindergarten kids
to work with.


td

Sue and Atty wrote:

And then I read the rest and my heart broke sigh

Yeah, me too. That's why I didn't respond to your post yesterday,
Kathleen - I honestly couldn't think of what to say.

I think you must have the toughest job in the world :-(.

In sympathy,

Dianne

"Kathleen" wrote in message:

And then, like a flaming asteroid out of the freakin blue, oh god...
"I had a dog. Her name was Bella. My dad got rid of her onnacounta I
dint stop having accidents in my pants at night. An' I miss her."

Why do these people have kids in the first place? Poor Ben.

Suja

Sue and Atty wrote:
"Kathleen" wrote in message
...

Sue and Atty wrote:


My first thought was EEEK someone's started school already? We still
have 2 weeks before we start.

In our district K-5 go year round, with 4 cycles breaks instead of a long
summer break. They lose less ground, academically, than they would over
an extended summer break, it keeps the teachers fresh, less likely to burn
out, and allows families more flexibility in scheduling vacations.

I loved the year round schedule, but the middle schools and high schools
keep to a more traditional routine. But even for them, school starts
tomorrow.

In our state, some of the rural districts are considering a 4-day school
week in response to fuel prices. I'd be cool with that as well, at least
for middle and high school. And knock off the friggen' half days. What a
waste of time. Throw the teachers a bone in the form of a couple half
days of meetings and training seminars per month, but make the kids come
in and whip through their entire class schedule in 3 1/2 hours, so as not
to miss any state dollars. Zero academic value, same fuel cost as a full
day.


Thanks for the clarification. I could see issues in our district with the 2
age groups being on different schedules/vacations (we only have 2 buildings
k-5 and 6-12). We don't have half days for meetings/inservices, but we do
have a couple of 1 hour early dismissals in order to do inservices. Our
monthly staff meetings are all before school. The other 2 inservice days
are full days - on holiday weekends like President's Day. Makes a nice long
weekend for the kids.

I find the 2 hour weather delays a wasted day - but we get credit. I'd
rather have the whole snow day and have to make it up (remember, I'm talking
instructional wise, not "I really enjoy the fact I get to sleep in" wise)
They come in, go to recess, go to lunch, have about 30 min. of instruction,
go to specials, and have another hour of instructional time and off they go.

I'm not sure what I think of the 4 day idea yet. I see some good and some
bad to it. I think the older kids would be fine, but the little ones would
be useless by the end of the day. Definitely have to build in a nap time
for some ages. They're already useless by 3:00! (the kindergarteners,
especially) We have all day K for everyone - I didn't think I'd like it,
but we're in our 4th year of it and my kids come to me in 2nd grade so much
farther along than when we only had 1/2 days. It's worked for us, but we
aren't losing some of the kids at noon and having to babysit the rest.

Our school district is humungus.
3 Early Childhood Family Education Centers (preschools)
10 Elementary Schools
5 Middle Schools
4 High Schools

We have a snow-day schedule but it's never used. If the roads are bad
or even dicey, school is cancelled district wide. Parents work. A two
hour snow delay screws them over as badly as a completely cancelled day.

Most of the local subdivisions don't have sidewalks. The kids stand in
driveways and walk down the streets to get to their bus stops and are
exposed to every freakin nitwit who drives like they've never seen snow.

A substantial percentage of the high schoolers drive themselves - a
subset of drivers you ddo not want to see on the road during icy weather.

The combination of those factors has turned the local districts into
weather wimps. Just as well, I guess. About ten years ago they didn't
cancel school, picked everybody up and then the snow and ice started.
They piled the kids back onto the buses and drove them back home. I'll
never forget my kids' bus descending the hill in front of our house
SIDEWAYS, sliding down the slope, horn blaring.

Kathleen wrote:

snip
It won't do any good now, I already know that. But if a report is made
it has to be documented. And it'll be there the next time, when
something else comes up. And it will. Somebody who would do this to a
5 year old child is capable of just about anything. So it's about
building a case.
It's not often that I miss accounting, but I surely do today.

I think you need to see a different kind of accounting in practice.